Tinalo Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 We have a Timberland Destiny. It is plugged into the mains and has a solar panel. Yesterday neither of our fobs, worked and so we had the batteries replaced. No difference. We are reluctant to use the key or the fob which unlocks the doors because the alarm will go off and we don't know how to turn it off. Any suggestions please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 It sounds rather like your EHU and Solar are only charging the leisure battery and your Starter battery has gone flat. The only option will be to open the door and then, if nothing happens, check the voltage of the starter battery. Keith. PS And welcome to the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 When you say you had the batteries replaced do you mean leisure, engine or all? On every van I ever had the alarm and immobiliser were powered by the engine battery and your van may or may not have the engine battery charged by either the mains and or solar panels so it could easily go flat over just a few weeks. Similarly, but on balance probably less likely, the small batteries in the key fobs might be suspect? The handbook(s) should give you some info? Again yours may differ but when the engine battery was too flat to even open the doors or light up the dashboard the key always worked to gain access and the alarm did not go off. If a battery gets that flat it's useful life will be drastically shortened, if not curtailed, so you may well need a new engine battery too? I then connected a mains charger to the engine battery and charged it enough to start the engine and then gavethe van a good run to complete the charging process. Apologies if yours differs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Tracker - 2018-01-17 2:38 PM When you say you had the batteries replaced do you mean leisure, engine or all? Similarly, but on balance probably less likely, the small batteries in the key fobs might be suspect? I took Tinalo's post to mean the fob batteries! Tinalo - 2018-01-17 2:23 PM Yesterday neither of our fobs worked and so we had the batteries replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Keithl - 2018-01-17 4:26 PM Tracker - 2018-01-17 2:38 PM When you say you had the batteries replaced do you mean leisure, engine or all? Similarly, but on balance probably less likely, the small batteries in the key fobs might be suspect? I took Tinalo's post to mean the fob batteries! Tinalo - 2018-01-17 2:23 PM Yesterday neither of our fobs worked and so we had the batteries replaced. On reading it again Keith, so do I - apologies for dementia! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Tinalo - 2018-01-17 2:23 PM We are reluctant to use the key or the fob which unlocks the doors because the alarm will go off and we don't know how to turn it off. Any suggestions please. It sounds as though your starter battery is very flat and hence will not unlock the doors, if this is the case then the alarm will not sound either, unless it has a built in back up battery (unlikely?). And a suggestion if you do have an alarm with a built in back up battery, have a spare car battery and jump leads handy then IF the alarm does go off connect the spare battery to the starter battery (or jump start terminals) and you should then be able to turn the alarm off. I would not connect a battery on second a car in case this 'spikes' either the MH or the car! MH electronics do not generally like to be 'Jump started'. You have been warned! Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 It never used to matter, but as part of the wonderful electronics revolution that has been made in recent years it might be as well to disconnect leisure battery and switch off hab electrics, if possible, before jump starting and even then I would prefer to use a battery charger on the engine battery rather than jump start a modern high tec van. I was lucky or maybe my vans were all too old but I always got away with it in the past but I have read of others less fortunate - progress eh - doncha just luvit!! Again, I'm no expert but I understand that some alarms do have internal rechargeable batteries just so that they can sound off if their main power source is disconnected or runs very low? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laika.brian Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 One other thing which might save you some trouble is to put the drivers window down or make sure the drivers door remains open while getting sorted. Reason I say this is many years ago a work colleague left the car lights on and the battery went flat, as they did not realise this they were clicking the fob , the alarm is connected to the central locking so the controller kept getting signals on/off on/off etc. when the car was jump started and the battery had power it activated the last signal it received I closed the drivers door with the car running and all the doors locked, so I had to do the clothes hanger to the door lock button trick, something which I do not think is possible now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinalo Posted January 19, 2018 Author Share Posted January 19, 2018 Firstly thank you for the welcome, and thank you for all the suggestions. In the end we took advantage of our breakdown insurance and the camper is now in our local garage waiting for a new leisure battery. Worse though is the EHU is probably going to have to be replaced as it wasn't charging anything - kaput. We suspect this has been an ongoing problem never properly sorted. If only my husband had been electrically minded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 HI, well the EHU does not charge batteries, all the EHU does is bring mains electricity into the van, if it is switched on at the vans consumer unit where the fuse trips are[ similar to the one in your home ] it enlivens your electrical sockets, water heater, and fridge IF these are switched on, battery charging is done by a battery charger , usually built in to the vehicle, this charger can be automatic OR manual, so may need switching on depending on your vehicle, when the EHU is live ie connected and switched on at the main trip switch in the consumer unit.This charger may only charge your vehicle battery and not the leisure batteries depending on the way your van is set up electrically, often there are switches on the main control panel in your van with indicator lights to show you what system is being controlled from this unit, check your hand book if you have one , hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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